Fire-escape.



(No Model.)

Patented July 24, |900.

F. W. NEBELTHAU.

Fl R E E S C A P E.

(Applipvbion led July 3, 1899,)

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FIRE ESCAPE.

{Applicntion led July 3, 1899.),

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)`

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. 4ilNiTian STATES PATENT @Tribu resumen w1 NEBELTHAU, orMiNNnAPcLIs,MINNESOTA@ rms-ESCAP.

SPECIFICATION forming para of Letters rates No. 654,482, dated July'241eoc.

Application le. July 5L, 1899. Seri-al No. 722,652. (No model.)

To all whom it may canberra;

Be it known that I, FREDRICK' vv. NEBEL THA, a citizen of the UnitedStatesresiding at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State ofMinnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Fscapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of thel invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its object to provide an improved fire-escape whichmay be easily and quickly handled, will operate safely, and

which is adapted for general applicationto buildings in such manner thatit will ordinarily be out of the way, but may be readily positioned foruse.

To these ends my invention consists of the l improved tire-escapesapplied thereto,the said fire-escape being shown in its folded orinoperative position. l Fig. 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1, but withAthe nre-escape shown inits operative position ready fory use. Fig. 3 isan elevation showing a portion of the window to which the lire-escape isattached and showing the upper or receiving end of the fire-escapeviewing the same from the inside of the building, and Fig. 4 is abottomplan view of the lower end of the fire-escape.

The numerals l and 2 indicate, respectively, the walls and the floorsofthe building, and the numeral 3 indicates one of the windows thereof,to which my improved fire-escape is attached. Thenumeral 4 indicates aseat or couch, which is in the form of a box having an open bottomandone open side. This seat or couch is shown as mounted on casters 5, andit is adapted to be placed with its open side against the wall 1,immediately under the window 3, for a purpose which will presentlyappear.

In my improved iireaescape I employ as a means for permitting andcontrolling the escape of persons from the building a long and `to theground, and it is preferably constructed of asbestos fabric or otherfabric treated with asbestos, although it may of course be constructedof many otherflexible materials,

which should, however, in all cases be treated with some preparationmaking it as near reproof as possible.

At its upper end the tube ct is iiared or increased in cross-section, asshown at a2, and

it is provided with a lower flap a3, which, as

shown, is permanently secured to the wall l, immediately below thewindow 3, by means of a detachable cleat 6, as shown, held by screws 7.At its upper corners the enlarged receiving end a2 of the tube a isshown as provided with loop-eyes a4, formed as part of a rein-1forcingrope or cord a5, which is run around the margin of the said enda2 to give the same the proper strength. These loop-eyes a4 are adaptedto be hooked over the hooks 8, which are suitably secured to the innersides of the window-frame.` cured to the hooks 8, the receiving end ofthe tube will be held open, so that a person may readilyenter the tube,and could not, in fact,

easily pass through the open window without entering theftube. v

At its lower or delivery end the tube a is securedto a twisting-ring b,this connection, asshown, being accomplished by securing the lower endsof the reinforcing cords or ropes a' to suitable eyes b', which projectinward from the said ring Z), as best shown in Fig. 4. In this mannerthe lower end of the tube is so attached to the so-called twisting-ringb that a person making a descentthrough the tube a will readily passthrough the said ring b. The ring b is provided with a crank or handpiece b2, by means of which the said ring may be turned to twist thetube ct, as presently described.

The twisting-ring b is mounted in a sup- When the loops a4 are se IOOporting-ringf, bearing ballsf being mounted to run in suitable groovesor channels formed in the outer and inner surfaces, respectively, of thesaid rings b and f. The so-called bearing-ring f is preferably formed intwo parts, being split at f2 and secured together by small nutted boltsf5 and being further preferably provided with a pair of handpieces f4,that are also split on the said line f2, as best shown in Fig. 4..

For a purpose which will hereinafter appear a choke rope or cord gisformed in a loop around the upper portion of the tube d, just below itsupper or entrance end d2, being, as shown, threaded through eyelets g',secured on the outer surface of the said tube. The lower end of theso-called choke rope or cord g will, when the device is in use or readyfor use, hang to the' ground, so that it may be operated by a personstanding below or on the ground.

WVhen the device is out of use, the loops a4 are detached from the hooksS on the windowframe, and the tube is piled up in the form of manifold,as clearly indicated in Fig. 1. The seator couch d4 may then be readilyplaced over the manifold, and the {ire-escape will be entirely out ofthe way and out of sight. At the same time the hre-escape is alwaysavailable for use.

When it is desired to use the fire-escape, the seat or couch 4 may bequickly removed therefrom, and it is then only necessary to pick up thedischarge end of the nre-escape, to which the rings b and f are secured,(these rings being found at the top of the manifold,) and throw the sameout of the window. Then it is only necessary to hook the loops co4 ontothe hooks 8 to put the device into condition for use.

To easily control the descent of persons through the tube a requires twopersons on the ground who will support the delivery end of the said tubeby means of the hand-pieces One of these persons, by taking hold of thecrank b2 of the twisting-ring b, will turn the said ring so as to twistup the tube d, as shown in Fig. 2; When the tube d is properly twisted,a person jumping into the receiving end of the tube will descend but avery short distance therein, on account of the twists. The operatorholding the crank h2 will then untwist the tube, so as to control thespeed of descent of the person within the tube. After one person hasentered the tube d another person may be prevented from following tooclosely into the tube by drawing `on the choke-rope g, thus contractingthe upper or entrance end of the tube cr.

My improved fire-escape above described is of small cost and isefficient for the purposes had in view.

It will of course be understood that I do not limit myself to thespecific details of construction above described, but, on the contrary,that my invention is capable of a large range of modification.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is as follows:

l. A fire-escape, comprising a flexible tube provided with means'forsecuring its upper end to a building and with a rigid or inflexibletwisting band or ring at the lower end of said tube, by means of whichring saidV tube may be twisted and through which ring the person makingthe descent may pass, substantially as described.

2. A fire-escape comprising a flexible tube provided with means forsecuring it to a building at its upper end and a twisting-ring at thelower end of said tube through which the person descending may pass, incombination with a supporting ring or band in which said twisting-rin gis mounted, the said parts operating substantially as described.

3. A fire-escape comprising a flexible tube provided with means forsecuring it to a building at its upper end and a twisting-ring at thelower-end of said tube through which the person descending may pass, incombination with a supporting ring or band surrounding saidtwisting-ring and bearing-balls working in grooves formed respectivelyin said twisting and supporting rings, substantially as described.

4t. A iire-escape comprising a iiexible tube provided with means forsecuring its' upper end to a building, and the twisting-ring h at thelower end of said tube, having the crank b2, and the supporting-ringfmounted on said ring h by means of ball-bearings f', substantially asdescribed.

5. In a fire-escape, a flexible tube securable at its upper end to abuilding, in combination with the choke-rope applied near the receivingor upper end of said tube for contracting the same, substantially as andfor the purposes set forth.

I testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FREDRICK W. NEBELTHAU.

Witnesses:

M. M. MOGRORY, F. D. MERCHANT.

IOO

